‘Oh dear’: Bizarre cricket history made as Sri Lanka star timed out in World Cup drama

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews has made unfortunate cricketing history, becoming the first player to be timed out at the international level.

Mathews was coming into bat with Sri Lanka 135-4 after 24.2 overs against Bangladesh, but due to a helmet issue was slow to take the crease.

While the 12th man ran to retrieve a new helmet, time continued to tick by – and well over three minutes after the previous wicket, Mathews and the umpires were still in discussions.

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But Bangladesh had appealed and, with the talks dragging on longer than the period Mathews actually had to make it to the crease, the umpires had to time him out – with Mathews losing his wicket without facing a ball.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” one of the commentators said.

“Given out without facing a ball! Timed out!”

MCC Rule 40.1.1 states: “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement.

“If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”

The rule has been in place since 1980, when batters were given two minutes to “step on to the field of play”, though the very first printed laws of cricket made reference to players being given two minutes “to come in when one is out”.

Six players are known to have been timed out in first-class cricket, most recently Zimbabwe’s Charles Kunje for Matabeleland Tuskers against Mountaineers at Bulawayo in 2017-18.

While neither Sri Lanka or Bangladesh are in contention to make the semi-finals of the World Cup, a win for Bangladesh could ensure England misses out on the Champions Trophy.

The top eight World Cup group stage finishers will qualify for the event. Bangladesh and England are currently 9th and 10th with 1-6 records, split by net run rate, while Sri Lanka and the Netherlands sit 7th and 8th with 2-5 records.

England faces the Netherlands on Wednesday night.